1 Mobilizaram os filisteus as suas tropas para a guerra e concentraram-se em Soco, em Judá. Acamparam entre Soco e Azeca, em Efes-Domim.
2 Saul e os israelitas mobilizaram-se de seu lado e acamparam no vale do Terebinto, pondo-se em linha de combate contra os filisteus.
3 Estes estavam num lado da montanha e Israel na colina defronte; o vale os separava.
4 Saiu do acampamento dos filisteus um campeão chamado Golias, de Get, cujo talhe era de seis côvados e um palmo.
5 Trazia na cabeça um capacete de bronze e no corpo uma couraça de escamas, cujo peso era de cinco mil siclos de bronze.
6 Tinha perneiras de bronze e um dardo de bronze entre os ombros.
7 O cabo de sua lança era como o cilindro de um tear, e sua ponta pesava seiscentos siclos de ferro. Um escudeiro o precedia.
8 Apresentou-se ele diante das tropas israelitas e gritou-lhes: Por que viestes dispostos a uma batalha? Não sou eu filisteu, e vós os escravos de Saul? Escolhei entre vós um homem que desça contra mim.
9 Se ele me vencer, batendo-se comigo, e matar-me, seremos vossos escravos; mas, se eu o vencer e o matar, então sois vós que sereis nossos escravos e nos servireis!
10 E ajuntou: Lanço hoje este desafio ao exército de Israel: dai-me um homem para lutarmos juntos!
11 Saul e todo o Israel ouviram essas palavras do filisteu, e ficaram consternados, cheios de medo.
12 Ora, Davi era um dos oito filhos de um efrateu de Belém de Judá, chamado Isaí, já idoso no tempo de Saul.
13 Seus três filhos mais velhos tinham seguido Saul na guerra. Chamavam-se: o primogênito Eliab, Abinadab o segundo e o terceiro Sama.
14 Davi era o mais novo. Os três mais velhos estavam com Saul,
15 e Davi ora ia ao acampamento de Saul, ora voltava para apascentar o rebanho de seu pai em Belém.
16 O filisteu aproximava-se pela manhã e pela tarde, e isso por quarenta dias seguidos.
17 Um dia, disse Isaí ao seu filho Davi: Toma para teus irmãos um efá de grão torrado e estes dez pães, e apressa-te a levá-los aos teus irmãos no acampamento.
18 Entrega estes dez queijos ao chefe dos mil. Informa-te se teus irmãos vão bem e traze algo de sua parte como prova.
19 Eles estavam com Saul e todos os homens de Israel no vale do Terebinto, em guerra com os filisteus.
20 No dia seguinte pela manhã, Davi, confiando o rebanho a um pastor, tomou sua bagagem e partiu, como lhe ordenara Isaí. Chegou ao acampamento no momento em que saía o exército para a batalha, levantando o grito de guerra.
21 Israel e os filisteus puseram-se em linha de combate, tropa contra tropa.
22 Davi entregou sua carga ao guarda das bagagens e correu às fileiras para informar-se de seus irmãos.
23 Enquanto lhes falava, eis que o campeão filisteu, Golias, de Get, avançou para fora das fileiras do seu exército, proferindo o mesmo desafio {como nos dias precedentes}, que Davi escutou.
24 Todo o Israel recuava à vista do homem, tremendo de medo.
25 Vedes, diziam eles, esse homem que avança? Ele vem insultar Israel. Aquele que o matar, o rei o cumulará de favores, dar-lhe-á sua filha e isentará de impostos em Israel a casa de seu pai.
26 Davi perguntou aos que estavam perto dele: Que será feito àquele que ferir esse filisteu e tirar o opróbrio que pesa sobre Israel? E quem é esse filisteu incircunciso para insultar desse modo o exército do Deus vivo?
27 E deram-lhe a mesma resposta: Dar-se-á isto e isto a quem o ferir.
28 Eliab, seu irmão mais velho, ouvindo-o falar assim, encolerizou-se: Por que vieste aqui? Com quem deixaste tuas ovelhas no deserto? Conheço a tua pretensão e a tua má índole; foi para ver a batalha que vieste!
29 Que fiz eu de mal?, respondeu Davi. Nada mais fiz que uma simples pergunta!
30 E afastou-se de seu irmão, indo perguntar a outros, dos quais obteve sempre as mesmas respostas.
31 As palavras de Davi foram ouvidas e comunicadas a Saul, que o mandou vir à sua presença.
32 Davi disse-lhe: Ninguém desanime por causa desse filisteu! Teu servo irá combatê-lo.
33 Combatê-lo, tu?!, exclamou o rei. Não é possível. Não passas de um menino e ele é um homem de guerra desde a sua mocidade.
34 Davi respondeu a Saul: Quando o teu servo apascentava as ovelhas do seu pai e vinha um leão ou um urso roubar uma ovelha do rebanho,
35 eu o perseguia e o matava, tirando-lhe a ovelha da boca. E se ele se levantava contra mim, agarrava-o pela goela e estrangulava-o.
36 Assim como o teu servo matou o leão e o urso, assim fará ele a esse filisteu incircunciso, que insultou os exércitos do Deus vivo.
37 O Senhor, acrescentou, que me salvou das garras do leão e do urso, salvar-me-á também das mãos desse filisteu. Vai, disse Saul a Davi; e que o Senhor esteja contigo!
38 O rei revestiu Davi com sua armadura, pôs-lhe na cabeça um capacete de bronze e armou-o de uma couraça.
39 Davi cingiu a espada de Saul por cima de sua armadura e tentou andar com aquela equipagem inusitada. Mas disse a Saul: Não posso andar com isso, pois não estou habituado!
40 E, tirando a armadura, tomou seu cajado e escolheu no regato cinco pedras lisas, pondo-as no alforje de pastor que lhe servia de bolsa. Em seguida, com a sua funda na mão, avançou contra o filisteu.
41 De seu lado, o filisteu, precedido de seu escudeiro, aproximou-se de Davi,
42 mediu-o com os olhos, e, vendo que era jovem, louro e de delicado aspecto, desprezou-o.
43 Disse-lhe: Sou eu porventura um cão, para vires a mim com um cajado? E amaldiçoou-o em nome de seus deuses.
44 Vem, continuou ele, e eu darei a tua carne às aves do céu e aos animais da terra!
45 Davi respondeu: Tu vens contra mim com espada, lança e escudo; eu, porém, vou contra ti em nome do Senhor dos exércitos, do Deus das fileiras de Israel, que tu insultaste.
46 Hoje o Senhor te entregará nas minhas mãos, e eu te matarei, cortar-te-ei a cabeça, e darei os cadáveres do exército dos filisteus às aves do céu e aos animais da terra. Toda a terra saberá que há um Deus em Israel;
47 e toda essa multidão saberá que não é com a espada nem com a lança que o Senhor triunfa, pois a batalha é do Senhor, e ele vos entregou em nossas mãos!
48 Levantou-se o filisteu e marchou contra Davi. Davi também correu para a linha inimiga ao encontro do filisteu.
49 Meteu a mão no alforje, tomou uma pedra e arremessou-a com a funda, ferindo o filisteu na fronte. A pedra penetrou-lhe na fronte, e o gigante caiu com o rosto por terra.
50 Assim venceu Davi o filisteu, ferindo-o de morte com uma funda e uma pedra. E como não tinha espada na mão,
51 correu ao filisteu, subiu-lhe em cima, arrancou-lhe a espada da bainha e acabou de matá-lo, cortando-lhe a cabeça. Vendo morto o seu campeão, os filisteus fugiram.
52 Os homens de Israel e de Judá levantaram-se então, soltando gritos de guerra, e perseguiram os inimigos até a entrada de Get e até as portas de Acaron. Os cadáveres dos filisteus juncavam o caminho desde Saraim até Get e até Acaron.
53 Voltando da perseguição, os israelitas saquearam o acampamento dos inimigos.
54 Davi tomou a cabeça do filisteu e mandou levá-la para Jerusalém. Conservou, porém, em sua própria tenda a armadura de Golias.
55 Quando Saul viu Davi partir ao encontro do filisteu, disse a Abner, seu general: De quem é filho esse jovem, Abner? Por tua vida, ó rei, respondeu Abner, não o sei.
56 Disse-lhe o rei: Informa-te, pois, de quem é filho esse jovem.
57 E quando voltou Davi, depois de ter matado o filisteu, levou-o Abner à presença de Saul, tendo ainda na mão a cabeça de Golias.
58 Saul perguntou-lhe: Quem é o teu pai, ó jovem? Eu sou filho de Isaí de Belém, teu servo, respondeu Davi.
1 Now the Philistines got their armies together for war, and came together at Socoh in the land of Judah, and took up their position between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
2 And Saul and the men of Israel came together and took up their position in the valley of Elah, and put their forces in order against the Philistines.
3 The Philistines were stationed on the mountain on one side and Israel on the mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
4 And a fighter came out from the tents of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath; he was more than six cubits tall.
5 And he had a head-dress of brass on his head, and he was dressed in a coat of metal, the weight of which was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 His legs were covered with plates of brass and hanging on his back was a javelin of brass.
7 The stem of his spear was as long as a cloth-worker's rod, and its head was made of six hundred shekels' weight of iron: and one went before him with his body-cover.
8 He took up his position and in a loud voice said to the armies of Israel, Why have you come out to make war? Am I not a Philistine and you servants of Saul? Send out a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.
9 If he is able to have a fight with me and overcome me, then we will be your servants: but if I am able to overcome him, then you will be our servants and do work for us.
10 And the Philistine said, I have put to shame the armies of Israel this day; give me a man so that we may have a fight together.
11 And Saul and all Israel, hearing those words of the Philistine, were troubled and full of fear.
12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Beth-lehem-judah named Jesse, who had eight sons; and he was an old man in Saul's day, and far on in years.
13 And the three oldest sons of Jesse had gone with Saul to the fight: the names of the three who went to the fight were Eliab, the oldest, and Abinadab the second, and Shammah the third.
14 And David was the youngest: and the three oldest were with Saul's army.
15 Now David went to and from Saul, looking after his father's sheep at Beth-lehem.
16 And the Philistine came near every morning and evening for forty days.
17 And Jesse said to his son David, Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dry grain and these ten cakes of bread, and go quickly with them to the tents to your brothers;
18 And take these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers are and come back with a sign to say how they are.
19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.
20 And David got up early in the morning, and, giving the sheep into the care of a keeper, took the things and went as Jesse had said; and he came to the lines where the carts were, when the army was going out to the fight giving their war-cry.
21 And Israel and the Philistines had put their forces in position, army against army.
22 And David gave his parcels into the hands of the keeper of the army stores, and went running to the army and came to his brothers to get knowledge about them.
23 And while he was talking to them, the fighter, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came out from the Philistines' lines and said the same words, in David's hearing.
24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw him, went in flight, overcome with fear.
25 And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man? Clearly he has come out to put shame on Israel: and it is certain that if any man overcomes him, the king will give that man great wealth, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's family free in Israel.
26 And David said to the men near him, What will be done to the man who overcomes this Philistine and takes away the shame from Israel? for who is this Philistine, a man without circumcision, that he has put shame on the armies of the living God?
27 And the people gave him this answer, So it will be done to the man who overcomes him.
28 And Eliab, his oldest brother, hearing what David said to the men, was moved to wrath against David, and said, Why have you come here? Into whose care have you given that little flock of sheep in the waste land? I have knowledge of your pride and the evil of your heart, you have come down to see the fight.
29 And David said, What have I done now? was it not only a word?
30 And turning away from him to one of the other men, he said the same words: and the people gave him the same answer.
31 And, hearing what David said, they gave Saul word of it: and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart become feeble because of him; I, your servant, will go out and have a fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, You are not able to go out against this Philistine and have a fight with him: for you are only a boy, and he has been a man of war from his earliest days.
34 And David said to Saul, Your servant has been keeper of his father's sheep; and if a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
35 I went out after him, and overcame him, and took it out of his mouth: and if, turning on me, he came at me, I took him by the hair and overcame him and put him to death.
36 Your servant has overcome lion and bear: and the fate of this Philistine, who is without circumcision, will be like theirs, seeing that he has put shame on the armies of the living God.
37 And David said, The Lord, who kept me safe from the grip of the lion and the bear, will be my saviour from the hands of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go! and may the Lord be with you.
38 Then Saul gave David his clothing of war, and put a head-dress of brass on his head and had him clothed with a coat of metal.
39 And David took Saul's sword and put the band round him over the metal coat, and was unable to go forward; for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, It is not possible for me to go out with these, for I am not used to them. So David took them off.
40 Then he took his stick in his hand, and got five smooth stones from the bed of the stream and put them in a bag such as is used by sheep-keepers; and in his hand was a leather band used for sending stones: and so he went in the direction of the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came nearer to David; and the man who had his body-cover went before him.
42 And when the Philistine, taking note, saw David, he had a poor opinion of him: for he was only a boy, red-haired and good-looking.
43 And the Philistine said to David, Am I a dog, that you come out to me with sticks? And the Philistine put curses on David by all his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come here to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.
45 Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword and a spear and a javelin: but I come to you in the name of the Lord of armies, the God of the armies of Israel on which you have put shame.
46 This day the Lord will give you up into my hands, and I will overcome you, and take your head off you; and I will give the bodies of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth today, so that all the earth may see that Israel has a God;
47 And all these people who are here today may see that the Lord does not give salvation by sword and spear: for the fight is the Lord's, and he will give you up into our hands.
48 Now when the Philistine made a move and came near to David, David quickly went at a run in the direction of the army, meeting the Philistine face to face.
49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and sent it from his leather band straight at the Philistine, and the stone went deep into his brow, and he went down to the earth, falling on his face.
50 So David overcame the Philistine with his leather band and a stone, wounding the Philistine and causing his death: but David had no sword in his hand.
51 So running up to the Philistine and putting his foot on him, David took his sword out of its cover, and put him to death, cutting off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their fighter was dead, they went in flight.
52 And the men of Israel and of Judah got up, and gave a cry, and went after the Philistines as far as Gath and the town doors of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines were falling down by the road from Shaaraim all the way to Gath and Ekron.
53 Then the children of Israel came back from going after the Philistines, and took their goods from the tents.
54 And David took the head of the Philistine to Jerusalem, but the metal war-dress and the arms he put in his tent.
55 And when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the captain of the army, Abner, whose son is this young man? And Abner said, On your life, O king, I have no idea.
56 And the king said, Make search and see whose son this young man is.
57 And when David was coming back after the destruction of the Philistine, Abner took him to Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And Saul said to him, Young man, whose son are you? And David in answer said, I am the son of your servant Jesse of Beth-lehem.